Portable support arm

ABSTRACT

A portable support arm has a base, an arm, a locking spindle and a cover. The arm is attached pivotally to the base and has a bracket on which an object is mounted. The locking spindle connects the arm to the base and securely locks the arm in position relative to the base. The cover is mounted on the arm. When the portable support arm is used, the locking spindle is pulled out, and the arm is adjusted and rotated so the height of the object will be adjusted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a support arm, and more particularly to a portable support arm that can be adjusted in height.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventional support arms are used to adjustably mount objects like desk lamps, monitors, televisions and the like. Generally, conventional support arms have a parallelogram linkage to adjust an object's height, and such conventional support arms are well known in the art. The support arm has a distal articulated arm and a proximal articulated arm, and a parallelogram linkage. The parallelogram linkage connects the distal articulated arm and the proximal articulated arm. The distal articulated arm is stationary, and the proximal articulated arm is movable relative to the distal arm for height adjustment.

However, the parallelogram linkage loosens easily after use, and the height of the object will change. Further, a user needs to loosen and tighten the parallelogram linkage again and again when adjusts the height of the conventional support arm. Therefore, a need exists for a portable support arm that can easily adjust the height of an object attached to the portable support arm.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a portable support arm that can easily adjust the height of an object attached to the portable support arm.

To achieve the objective, the portable support arm in accordance with the present invention has a base, an arm, a locking spindle and a cover. The base has a bracket. The bracket has at least one wing with a mounting hole. The mounting hole has multiple teeth. The arm is attached pivotally to the base and has a proximal end, a distal end, a spindle hole and a bracket. The spindle hole is formed transversely through the proximal end and has multiple teeth corresponding to the teeth in the mounting hole. The bracket is attached to the distal end, and an object is attached to the bracket. The locking spindle connects the arm to the base, keeps the arm from pivoting and has an outside surface and multiple teeth. The teeth are formed on the outside surface and correspond to the teeth in the spindle hole and the mounting hole. The cover is mounted on the arm.

To adjust the portable support arm, the teeth on the locking spindle are disengaged from the teeth in the spindle hole and the mounting hole. The arm is pivoted to adjust the height of the object attached to the bracket. The teeth on the locking spindle are engaged with the teeth in the spindle hole and the mounting hole to hold the object in place.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable support arm in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an explored perspective view of the portable support arm in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view in partial section of the portable support arm in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partially exploded perspective view of the portable support arm in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged operational side view in partial section of the portable support arm in FIG. 1 when a knob is pulled out; and

FIG. 6 is an operational side view of the portable support arm in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a portable support arm in accordance with the present invention has a base (10), an arm (20), a locking spindle (30) and an optional cover (40).

The base (10) attaches to or sits on a desk, table, workbench or the like, may be a transverse U-shaped clamp or a weighted base and has a body and a bracket (11). The body has top surface and a slot. The slot is defined in the top surface of the body. The bracket (11) is mounted in the body, extends from the slot in the body and has at least one wing (111). One wing (111) has a mounting hole (112) with multiple teeth. In a preferred embodiment, each tooth on the mounting hole is formed as an oblique angle. In a preferred embodiment, the body (11) has two wings (111), other wing (111) has a through hole (113).

The arm (20) is attached to the base (10) and has a distal end, a proximal end, at least one side, a spindle hole (21), an optional through hole (22) and a mounting device. The proximal end of the arm (20) is attached to the body (11). In a preferred embodiment, the arm (20) has two sides. The spindle hole (21) is defined in the at least one side of the arm (20) corresponding to the mounting hole (112) in the body (11) and has multiple teeth corresponding to the teeth in the mounting hole (112). The through hole (22) is defined in the other side of the arm (20) and corresponds to the through hole (113) in the body (11). The mounting device can be a bracket (23), a clamp or a platform, is attached to the distal end and can connect to or hold an object such as a monitor, a television, a lamp or the like.

Further with reference to FIG. 4, the locking spindle (30) is mounted slidably through the spindle hole (21) in the arm (20) and the mounting hole (112) in the bracket (11) and has a spindle (31), an optional knob (32), an optional bushing (33), an optional escutcheon (34), an optional end cap (36) and a spring (35).

The spindle (31) has an inner end, an outer end, an outer surface, multiple teeth (311), an optional threaded hole (312) and an optional annular flange. The teeth (311) are formed on the outer surface of the spindle (31) near the outer end, correspond to and selectively engage the teeth in the spindle hole (21) and the mounting hole (112). The teeth (311) may be formed at an oblique angle. The threaded hole (312) is defined coaxially through the spindle (31). The annular flange is formed around and protrudes radially out from the inner end of the spindle (31).

The knob (32) is attached to the outer end of the spindle (31) and has an inside end and an optional threaded stud. The inside end is attached to the outside end of the spindle (31). The threaded stud is formed coaxially on the inside end of the knob (32) and screws into the threaded hole (312) in the spindle (31).

The bushing (33) is mounted around the inner end of the spindle (31) and through the through holes (113, 22) in the arm (20) and the bracket (11).

The escutcheon (34) has an outer surface and is mounted on the bushing (33) against the side of the arm (20) to hold the bushing (33) in place.

The end cap (36) is attached to the inner end of the spindle (31) and has an outer end, an inner end, an annular flange and an optional threaded stud. The inner end is attached to the inner end of the spindle (31). The annular flange is formed around and extends radially out from the outer end of the end cap (36). The threaded stud is formed coaxially on and protrudes out from the inner end of the end cap (36) and screws into the threaded hole (312) in the spindle (31).

The spring (35) is mounted around the spindle (31) and abuts the side of the arm (20) to hold the spindle (31) in the spindle hole (21), the mounting hole (112) and the through holes (113). When the escutcheon (34) is installed to hold the bushing (33) in the arm (20), the spring (35) abuts the outer surface of the escutcheon (34). When the end cap (36) is attached to the inner end of the spindle (31), the spring (35) is mounted between the flange on the end cap (36) and the outer surface of the escutcheon (34). When the end cap (36) is not attached to the inner end of the spindle (31), the annular flange is formed around the inner end of the spindle (31), and the spring (35) is mounted between the flange on the spindle (31) and the outer surface of the escutcheon (34).

The cover (40) has two halves (400) mounted on the arm (20). The halves (400) individually have a distal end, a proximal end and a hole (41). The holes (41) are defined respectively in the halves (400) near the proximal ends and correspond respectively to the spindle hole (21) and the mounting hole (112) and the through holes (113, 22). The holes (41) allow the krob (32) and the end cap (36) to protrude from the cover (40).

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the height of the bracket (23) is adjusted by pulling the knob (32) out until the teeth (311) on the spindle (31) disengage from the teeth in the mounting hole (113), the arm (20) is pivoted until the bracket (23) is at the desired height. When the knob (32) is pulled out, the spring (35) is compressed. After adjusting the height of the bracket (23), the knob (32) is released, the compressed spring (35) pulls the spindle (31), and the teeth (311) engage the teeth in the mounting hole (113) and lock the arm (20) in position.

The portable support arm has the following advantages.

1. Adjusting the height of an object mounted on the portable support arm is easy since a user only has to pull the locking spindle (31).

2. The height of an object mounted on the portable support arm in accordance with the present invention is locked in place and will not loosen because the teeth (311) on the spindle (31) engage the teeth on the mounting hole (113) and the spindle hole (21) and lock the arm (20) in position relative to the bracket (11).

The invention may be varied in many ways by a person skilled in the art. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims. 

1. A portable support arm having a base having a body having a top surface, and a slot defined in the top surface of the body, and a bracket mounted in the body, extending from the slot in the body and having at least one wing, and one of the at least one wing having a mounting hole with multiple teeth, an arm attached to the base and having a distal end, a proximal end, at least one side, and a spindle hole defined in the side corresponding to the mounting hole in the bracket and having teeth corresponding to the teeth in the mounting hole in the bracket, and a locking spindle mounted slidably through the spindle hole in the arm and the mounting hole in the bracket, and having a spindle having an inner end, an outer end, an outer surface, multiple teeth formed on the outer surface of the spindle near the outer end, corresponding to and selectively engaging the teeth in the spindle hole and the mounting hole, and a spring mounted around the spindle to provide a recoil force to the spindle.
 2. The portable support arm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking spindle further comprises a knob attached to the outer end of the spindle and having an inside end attached to the outer end of the spindle.
 3. The portable support arm as claimed in claim 2, wherein the spindle has a threaded hole defined coaxially through the spindle, and the knob has a threaded stud formed coaxially on the inside end of the to knob and screws into the threaded hole in the spindle.
 4. The portable support arm as claimed in claim 3, wherein the locking spindle further comprises an end cap attached to the inner end of the spindle and having an outer end, an inner end attached to the inner end of the spindle, and an annular flange formed around and extending radially out from the outer end of the end cap.
 5. The portable support arm as claimed in claim 4, wherein the end cap further has a threaded stud formed coaxially on and protruding out from the inner end of the end cap and screwing into the threaded hole in the spindle.
 6. The portable support arm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the base has two wings, one of the wings having the mounting hole, and the other wing having a through hole, the arm has two sides, one of the side having the spindle hole, the other side having a through hole, and the locking spindle further comprises a bushing mounted around the inner end of the spindle and through the through holes in the bracket and the arm, an escutcheon mounted on the bushing against the side of the arm to hold the bushing in place and having an outer surface, and the spring abuts the outer surface of the escutcheon and the annular flange on the end cap.
 7. The portable support arm as claimed in claim 6, wherein the spindle further has an annular flange formed around and protruding radially out from the inner end of the spindle, and the spring is mounted between the flange on the spindle and the outer surface of the escutcheon.
 8. The portable support arm as claimed in claim 7, wherein the portable support arm further comprises a cover having two halves mounted on the arm individually having a distal end, a proximal end, and a hole defined in the cover near the proximal end, wherein the holes in one half faces the spindle hole in the arm and the mounting hole in the bracket, and the hole in the other half faces the through holes in the arm and the bracket.
 9. The portable support arm as claimed in claim 1, wherein the teeth on the spindle are formed at an oblique angle, and the teeth on the spindle hole of the arm and the mounting hole in the bracket are oblique angle. 